Mound City

The Post-Dispatch reports today that Police Chief Joe Mokwa and the Police Board backed a plan that would reduce the police force by 40 or 50 officers, bringing the police for to its lowest numbers in 80 years. The plan works through attrition, the reduction will be through retirement and resignations, not layoffs are planned.

Mayor Slay, who sits on the board, was apparently not present when the board voted 4-0 to support the plan, however Mokwa said Slay supports the plan.

I wonder what the fallout would have been had this come up on Monday, before the mayoral debate? Also, I wonder if there is a plan to move officers around or otherwise attempt to make up for the districts that lose several officers?

Can St. Louis actually afford to cut so many officers? Will the response time and coverage be affected? None of these have been addressed yet.